Dispensing apparatus



Sept. 1943. H. c. BOWMAN DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1940/NVEN7'OR: @W WW I I HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 14,1943 1 M I 22,329,431 v me -mm =AP1 sBATUs, I ffilaroidfl Bowman, nbckyiit vegohioi l i f iterates September 12, lillls erial No, 356,437:

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Thisinvention .relatesv to dispensing devices, containers/which havedifferent types. of cloand is particularly adapted to the dispensing ofsures. 1 I spowdered or finelydivided solidmaterials; Asshown in: thedrawing, the fcontainer itself,

AnH object of the invention is to provide an is a cylindrical can or boxI, having'ata one end improved dispensing device which will effectively;-5 'a closure or hea'd'2 ,-and at the opposite end a dispense finelydivided,materials,yincluding those head 3.which' is centrallyperforated, the perioinwhich'the particles have somctend'ency to rationnormally, in transit or '1 storage; being pack or stick together. closedby a-i sheet metal cap, such for instance, Another object of ,themve'ntion is to provide as :used on ordinary paint cans and onmany animproved dispensing device whichmay be other'types' of packages. I

used to dispense finely dividedmaterials from Thegperforated hea'd 3 ofthe. container is a container in which they maybe shipped oriri'ctionally engaged by a centraliiangefl-foimed sold., I K I V with amain'horizontal portion 5 of theiframe'i- Another objectofitheiinventio'n is to provide work-Foffithezdisp'enser; The upper endof this an improved dispensing device which will be neat flange, as.indicatedat 6, is tapered inwardly to and attractive in appearance. a apermit the-easy insertion of the flange within Another object is toprovide an improved dis: thehe'adi ofthecontainer.' I

pensingdevice which may be economically man- T The supporting frameis'formed with an'inufactured. I te'graidepending lug orflange 'L'shownas slight- Another object is to provide an impr'oveddisly'curvedtandfhaving downwardly-tapering sides pensing device whichwill becomposed of .few which may be inserted :within" the channeland simpleparts. I I I I Another object is to provide an improvedldis- Thesefianges as shown clearly from Figure 1,

pensing device which will eliminate spaces in are inclined so that theyconverge in a downwhich finely divided material; may lodg e itself, 35wardly direction at the" same angle as "do the Another object istoprovideanimproveddissidesof flange 1, so'thatthe latter may beztightpensing device which maybe simply operated. 1y wve'd'ge'cl into placeswithin the supporting I Other objects ,will hereinafter appear; Ibracket. p i t ,The invention will be better understood'from The bracketis; periorated'for the passage; of the description of one practicalembodiments screws" l0 and II" by which it may "be secured thereof,illustrated in the accompanying drawto a wall W as indicated, 'A'perforation through ing which shows a type of dispenser particularly thedepending lug 1 makes itpossi'bl'e to pass the intended for thedispensing of powdered soap, screw ll through both this lug and thebracket and in which: i p i pl'ate 'il; t'o' preventreadyremoval'of thedispens- Figure 1 is a front elevational view, of a dising device fromthe wall.

shaped flanges "8 of a supporting bracket 9.

penser and an associated container, parts being If, 'how'evr, it is'desire'd' that the dispenser broken away and shown in section;' bereadily removable without taking out the Figure 2 is a partiallyelevational, parscrew, this screwma'ybe inserted before the i llyectionaiview taken, in the line II- I I' dispenser 1s placed i over thebracket, its head of Figure 1; 40 then being as indicated indot-and-dash lines Figure 3is a horizontal sectional view taken at, l ap v on the 1ine.I IIIII of Figure 2; "Itwill'benoted thatthe curvedshape of lug 1 I Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom Plan view permitsftheheads of the screws) and II to be of parts appearing in I the precedingfigures, positioned betweenthis' plate and the fiat bracket showingtheir position while discharging mateplate 9,while holding the flangesGtightlyagainst rial; i M h I thewall. i

Figure fi is a fragmentary cross-sectionalview A disk I3 is used toclose the bottom of the taken on the line V of Figure i'j and openinginthe vframe surrounded'by the flange Figure Gisa fragmentary sectionalview taken 4, and may, for convenience in fastening, be

on the line of Figure As' above indicated,'the' dispenser illustrated betelescopically receivedwithinthe'flange 4; in the drawing" is intendedfor use wi'tha ship The disk l3 may be secured 'to the frame by ping"or. sales container; audit is further in welding, brazing, soldering, orthe likepeither tended thatsthe dispenser may. be used'with a' 7 betweenthe disk proper or between its flange l4 piurality'of containers ofvarying sizes, andwith' 55 and that 4 ofthe frame. 1 j v provided with amarginal flange" ll which may Disk I3 is provided with a perforation oroutlet opening I5 through which material may pass to the measuring partof the dispenser.

and at the other end a lug2I'I having a projecting boss 2| strucktherefrom.

This boss is in horizontal alignment with -a similar boss 22 struck fromlug I; and between I the two bosses is positioned a helical compressionspring23.

The plunger is supported by a channel-shaped stirrup consisting of ahorizontal web 24 and side flanges 25. At the upper edge of theseflanges are lugs 26 which pass through slots in disk I3 and are bentover to retain support in place. The plunger carries an agitating memberfor stirring up the contents of the container, should these attempt topack itogethenwhlch is shown as a loop 21 of Wire, or similarmaterial,which extends horizontally above disk I3, and has two downwardly bentends 28 which pass through perforations in the top of webIB of theplunger immediately at the outer edge of the depending flange I8.

These ends have struck therefrom small projecting lugs 29;. such asproduced :by. a blow of a cold chisel. 'l'he'lugs 29 are arranged to beheld beneath the end of the fiat-leaf spring secured, asby spot Welding,to. the undersideiof web I6.

It will be .apparent thatthe agitator may be simply inserted by passingits ends through the holes in web 16 and pressing them, downwardly, sothat theilug's 29 snap under the endof the spring 30, after. whichutheagitator is held firmly in place by the pressure of this spring forcingthe ends 28 against'flange I8.

Notches 3I may beformed inheadl3 to permit any desired length oftravel'of theagitator, and consequently, the plunger.

Similarly, a notch 32 may be formed in the web 24 to permitthe contentsof the recess or space within flange. I8'to drop after any desiredlength of travel of the plunger. Y r Steps 33'are formedon'-'sideflanges I1 adjacent the outer end of the plunger to. limititsinward motion by contact with the edge. of web 24, while its outwardmotion is limited-by ends 28 of the agitator striking disk I 3.-

The operation of thedevice will be readily ap-.

parent from the above description and the drawing. I

The user has merely to pressthe flange I9't01 ward the wall, materialhaving previously fallen through opening .I'5-int01j the recess definedby flange I8, and as the plungeris moved; this flange is carried outover notch-32, at which point the material may drop freely from thedevice under the influence of gravity.

The material is aildelivered at oneplacawithout the necessity for anydischarge hopper, funnel or the like. a 1 1' r As the plunger is moved.'apperture I5 is closed by the passage of web, I6 thereacross; asindicated in Figures; arid 5. I l

the stirrup, or plunger During this motion the loop 2-! of the agitatorstirs the material within the container, and this stirring is continuedon the return of the plunger to its outermost position, so that thematerial can drop freely into the space within flange I8.

The reciprocating action of the agitator moves the material within thecontainer to the discharge opening I5, so that substantially all ofvthis material may be dispensed, and only a thin layer of it willremainupon the top of disk I3. Thus it liminates the necessity for anyinclined baflles or hopper-like oonstructlons tocause the material toflow obliquely to the discharge opening.

- Instead of the specific type of container illustrated, it will beapparent that any can or box consisting of a cylindrical tube and havinga removable cap, or the like, might be used, and that thecylindrical'tube itself might directly engage the surface of flange 4.Thus it will'be apparent i that this flange may be used with containerof substantially different diameters, provided only that theopeningstothe same are of the same diameter.- f 1 The containe'r, ofcourse, may be of any desired material such as cardboard,:sheet.;metal,.or the like. P

All parts-of the device may be easily fabricated from sheet metal, withthe: exceptionof. the spring 23 and agitator ZI'and' 28, both of whichmay simply be made of wire. 1 I

The parts may be assembled with only one, or atthe most two, welding,soldering, or brazing operations. a

The entire space within the bottom of the plunger is opento permit anypartlclesof material which may find their way" into the same to drop atone end or the other of the supporting stirrup, and similarly, there isno-part so situated that=it may'retaln' material in position'toreach thespring and obstruct its operation. r 7 The dispenser may be easilyremoved from th wall bracket and inserted'in the opened upper end of thecontainer, andthe assembledcontainer and dispenser then inverted'and'returned to the wall bracket, without affording the material anyopportunity to spill.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of this invention insome particularity,-obviously many modifications and-variations willreadily occur to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and Ido not, therefore, limit myself to the precise details shown anddescribed, but claim as my invention all embodiments, modifications,and'variations coming within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a dispenser, a sheet metal plunger of generally channel-shapedcross-section having a perforation formed therethrough and being formedabout said perforation into a depending peripheral flange, an agitatorcarried by the plunger comprising a loop of wire having two downwardlyextendingends passing through the web of, the plunger and bearingagainst the exterior of the peripheral flange, and a retaining springpressing said ends against said flange andsccured within the hollow ofthe plunger.

2. In a dispenser, a sheet metal plunger oi generally channel-shapedcross-sectionhavinga perforation formed therethrough and being formedabout said perforation. into a dependin peripheral flange,, an agitatorcarried by the plunger comprising a loop of wire having, two downwardlyextending ends passing through the web of the plunger andbearingagainstthe exterior of the on each of said depending wire ends, theprojections engaging the retaining spring.

3. A dispenser comprising a sheet metal frame consisting of a generallyhorizontal plane top and a substantially vertical supporting lug, thetop being centrally perforated and formed at the periphery of theperforation into an upstanding peripheral attaching flange, a diskspanning the perforation with its undersurface in substantially theplane of the undersurface of the horizontal portion of the framesecuring means holding said disk to the frame. I

4. A dispenser comprising a sheet metal frame consisting of a generallyhorizontal plane top and a substantially vertical supporting lug. thetop being centrally perforated and formed about the perforation into anupstanding marginal flange having a contracted upper edge, a diskspanning the perforation, a discharge opening formed through the disk, asheet metal plunger underlying the framework and the disk and having amaterial receiving recess adapted to be brought into alignment with thedischarge opening, resilient means holding said plunger with its recessunderlying the opening and a channel-shaped stirrup supporting theplunger and secured to the disk, the plunger covering the bottom of therecess when the latter is inv alignment with the opening. HAROLD C.BOWMAN.

